The Darkest Day in all of China
by Shomei No Jisshi
Summary: A plague has spread across all of China, killing thousands. It has spread to the Dragon Warrior and Shifu, and slowly approaching is the darkest day of China. But at the same time, a dawn awakens. Features Original Character Siko-Yama Korkai. Prologue to "The Tale of the Next Dragon Warrior" Rated T for dark tones of death and loss and minor swearing.


_One bag of dumplings_

_Leeks_

_Apples_

_Bamboo_

_And a bowl of ramen noodles from Mr. Ping's Noodle Store_

SikoYama walked down the Palace steps with this note in hand, reading it over and memorizing it, then placing it in his pocket. Clouds covered the top of the Valley and the roads and almost every place there was deserted. A horrible sickness has spread across China, an epidemic that has killed thousands. It has spread to the Valley of Peace like a wildfire, and everybody has been urged to either evacuate to Japan before the sickness spread to them or remain indoors. The Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior along with Shifu have remained in the Jade Palace in order to keep final watch, but due to this two of them have became sick from the virus: Po and Shifu. Po has been recieving great care and lies inside his room in the Sleeping Quarters, but remains losing the fight to stay alive. Shifu has been refusing care and meditates along the Peach Tree of Ancient Wisdom, and has not been spoken to for weeks. SikoYama has been making trips up and out into the Valley to gather herbs and food for the Palace from the shopkeepers that have tried to avoid the epidemic or weren't able to make it out in time for evacuation and the boats to travel to Japan. This would be his sixteenth trip to get to the shopkeepers Yao and Jinng, a goat couple who couldn't make it and Mr. Ping, who has been generously staying to give noodles to the sick, surprisingly free of charge. SikoYama has been making trips there to get noodles for Po, which seems to make him feel cheery to a good extent. But despite all other things, SikoYama has suffered personal losses due to this epidemic. He got the news that his wife, whom had been in the other side of the country with his son and daughter, was victim of the virus and died a day after recieving it. The kids were unharmed and are traveling to the Valley as he walked.

Yao and Jinng were wrapping up a bag of bread and other goods when SikoYama approached the stand and ringed a small bell. Yao turned around immediantly and she walked over to SikoYama with a fake smile. "The usual?" she asked. "No, I just need a bag of dumplings, about 5 leeks and 2 apples or so. None of the usual herb stuff." "Alright. We ran out of rosemary, thyme, and other spices anyway." "I'd imagine. Everybody's starting to need them now that we found out those spices can do at least something to the virus." "Yes, yes, true. JIING! WE NEED SOME THINGS!" "Hold on woman, I'm coming!" It took about two minutes or so to gather the things for SikoYama considering trades ceased and food was getting harder and harder to come by. SikoYama payed 20 coins for the supplies and left down the street to Mr. Ping's shop. There was about one or two people in line to order a soup for their family members, and SikoYama waited in line until he got to Mr. Ping. "Secret Ingrediant Soup, please." "Yes, one second. How's Po?" "Not the best, but so far better than a week ago. I think he's going to get over it." "I hope so." As Mr. Ping was preparing, he started slipping and botching, and eventually started dozing off. "A-are you okay, Mr. Ping?" SIkoYama asked in panic, and Mr. Ping looked at him. "No... I think I'm dying of old age. I've been doing this for a year now, and it's not stopping. I'm planning on selling the store today. Close it down now, so I can finally rest." SikoYama looked toward the ground and breathed heavily in grief. "You're one of the best people I've ever met, Ping. Sleep well." Mr. Ping had a small smile and handed the bowl to SikoYama, where SIkoYama wrapped it up. "That's my final bowl of noodles. Make sure Po enjoys it." "I will, Mr. Ping." SikoYama nods, and Mr. Ping starts to silently cry, and walk upstairs. For common courtesy, SIkoYama wrote that the store was closed until further notice and hung it up, then walked back to the Jade Palace.

Once he arrived, he was walked up to by Tigress, Mantis, Crane, Monkey and Mantis with the doctor close at hand. "What happened?" SikoYama asked. "When you left, Po took a turn for the worst. I don't think he's going to make it." The Five slowly grieved, and SikoYama's face read many things. Shock, sadness, anger, denial above all others. "Well may I visit him? I must deliver this to him." "You may. Wear this mask, though, don't want the disease to spread to you." SikoYama put on the mask, grabbed the bowl of noodles from a table he set it on, and walked to Po's room.

Inside, Po laid, dozing on and off, his eyes bloodshot red and breathing raspy. SikoYama sat on a chair near the table and placed the bowl on the bed. "That's... your father's last bowl of noodles. Must I say more?" Po slowly tilted his head toward SikoYama, and a single tear rolled across his cheek. SikoYama then bowed his head. "So they don't think you're going to make it. I... don't know what to say. I've always felt anger towards you, you killed Tai Lung when I wanted to most, and always outshone me somehow. But I respect you, and you're my friend, and I'm not going to sit around and watch you die. I just can't. I don't want you to die, Tigress doesn't want you to die, China doesn't want you to die, nobody does. You're our only Dragon Warrior, you have to protect China, so why the hell do you have to die when you're at your peak?!" SikoYama started to yell, and knocked a vase to the ground in anger. He looked to Po, and Po's head slowly shaking back and forth. SikoYama resisted to yell and clutched his hands together. "Seeing you like this, it's not right. It just isn't." He sat in silence, until he heard Po's raspy breaths get heavier and he croaked only two words: "Sing... please..." SikoYama looked to him and sighed.

_"Hey old man, rest your head_  
_You're breaking down inside._  
_Armor's cracked, set to collapse._  
_Damn you, don't you cry..."_

SikoYama sang for three minutes or so, and Po shut his eyes during that time, and his breath could no longer be heard. SIkoYama sat in silence for about a half hour, until the Doctor walked in, and looked to Po. He took Po's pulse, shut his eyes and sighed, and covered Po's body with a sheet. He beckoned SikoYama out, and shut the door behind him when he left.

The great Dragon Warrior was dead.

The news was informed to the Five, who mostly silently cried, with Tigress bowing her head and walked out to the steps of the Palace and sat. Thunder was heard in the distance. The doors remained open as nobody bothered to close them, and a single Peach Tree leaf fell upon the floor of the Palace. SikoYama looked to the leaf and sat up. "I'll visit Shifu." he muttered, and without reply from anybody he walked out. He walked up to the Peach Tree, where Shifu stood, shaking. "I feel that darkness has swept China." Shifu said in a faint, raspy voice. "It has." SikoYama replied, and they stood for a small silence. "You are my succesor." "What?" "Look over the Palace for me." "Shifu, what are you trying to say?" Shifu turned around to reveal a sick, blotchy looking red panda who looked to SikoYama with an intense stare. "I'm about to die, and I choose you to look over the Palace. Are we clear?" "No, no, no, no, not you too... We've lost Po and Mr. Ping, we're not losing you too!" "I can't... fight this anymore, and I have seen the beyond beckon for me. It's about time I left my legacy. Goodbye. Take care of the Palace for me." "No! No, you can't!" And as SikoYama screamed for Shifu to come back, Shifu left in a tornado of leaves and flew to the sky, the staff handed to Shifu by Oogway falling to the ground with a light clank. SikoYama fell to his knees, and grabbed the staff. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no..." he muttered, and rain started to fall, heavily. Lightning flashed and crashed. SikoYama walked to the Palace, holding the staff. It was unsaid, and the Five bowed, and walked off.

The darkest day of China was made, and only a week later the virus was mostly under control and ceased. All of China mourned, and funerals were held, with hundreds attending and everything else. Some of the Five left the job, leaving new spots filled in with only Tigress and Crane remaining two years later, and both left soon after.

But unkowingly, during the time Po died, a panther cub was born in the eastern part of China, and would later become the Dragon Warrior over 20 years later. 

His name? Quicai. And he will become one of the best warriors ever seen.


End file.
